Exploring the Role of Personal Agency in Adolescent Sexual Health: Goal Pursuit Skills and the Use of Protection1
by Arbeit, Miriam R., M.A., TUFTS UNIVERSITY, 2012, 28 pages; 1506500

Abstract:

Personal sexual agency involves an individual's ability to take action in pursuit of a personal sexual goal. The exercise of such agency may be particularly important for sexual health. Drawing on theories that frame adolescent sexual behavior in the context of normative development, this study used Grade 11 data from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development to assess the relationship between goal pursuit skills and the consistent use of protection during sexual activity among sexually active American adolescents (N = 242). As predicted, results of logistic regression indicated that higher levels of goal pursuit skills were significantly related to sexually active youth's consistent use of protection during sexual activity, and notably so for female youth. These findings have important implications for the design and implementation of public health and education initiatives as well as for future study on normative sexuality development and positive youth development.

 
AdviserRichard M. Lerner
SchoolTUFTS UNIVERSITY
SourceMAI/ 50-04, p. , Mar 2012
Source TypeThesis
SubjectsPublic health; Developmental psychology
Publication Number1506500
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